Milne Bay extends teacher in-service workshops

Education

MILNE Bay has extended its teacher in-service programme workshops to schools on Woodlark, Gawa and Kitava islands.
Travelling by boat from island to island, a series of two-day workshops were organised by provincial education division in partnership with Bilum Books.
Joseph Tau of SPA basic education explained: “The education division has used provincial funds to purchase resources to help teachers implement the new standard-based English elementary syllabus.
“Before teachers are given the books, they must undertake a  2-day workshop with Bilum Books facilitators”.
Bilum Books director and publisher Ray O’Farrell said: “We are prepared to travel anywhere. Our mission is to provide teacher training at the grassroots level wherever there are schools who want to use our books.
“For districts and school clusters that buy our books, we will provide teacher training.
“We are committed to improving literacy levels.
“Literacy levels must be improved at the foundation. Elementary school is the foundation.
“The new syllabus is a good syllabus but teachers need some training and the right resources to implement it successfully.
Boat hire, loading books for participants, fuel for dinghies to bring in teachers from outlying islands, diesel for school generators, food for participants, heavy rain and big seas did not dampen the determination and enthusiasm of the facilitators and teacher participants.
The workshop focussed on six steps for teaching a sound.
The facilitators presented demonstration lessons based on the Bilum Books Phonics Student Books and Teacher Guides.
Teachers (in groups of six) then presented demonstration lessons to the other teachers in workshop about the new syllabus.